BEY AREA: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Bey-Shana Clark dribbles upcourt in recent action. Last Saturday, junior forward Clark tallied 14 points to help Stuart defeat Kent Place 52-33. The Tartans, who improved to 11-5 with a 57-44 win over Country Day School of the Sacred Heart (Pa.) last Monday, play at Pennington on January 24 and at Princeton High on January 27 before hosting Bound Brook High on January 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Bey-Shana Clark displayed the growth in her game as the Stuart Country Day School basketball team hosted Kent Place last Saturday.

The junior forward employed some deft inside moves, hit mid-range jumpers, and drained six free throws on the way to a team-high 14 points as Stuart pulled away to a 52-33 win over the Dragons.

“You have to know how to work with your own body,” said Clark in assessing her play in the post as she also grabbed five rebounds.

“If I go into college ball, I am definitely going to be a small forward or a shooting guard, so I have got to work on my outside game.”

In Clark’s view, the win over Kent Place marked a step forward at both ends of the court for the Tartans.

“Coach [Justin Leith] was talking about consistency and how we have to get better each game,” said Clark.

“Defense wins games. Every day we do defensive drills and the main key is boxing out. Coach also talks about pushing the ball and seeing the court and people on each side.”

Showing her offensive consistency, Clark recently eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in her Stuart career.

“I got my 1,000, I have got to keep going and get 2K,” said a smiling Clark, who chipped in six points and eight rebounds to help Stuart defeat Country Day School of the Sacred Heart (Pa.) 57-44 last Monday as it improved to 11-5.

With the county and state prep tournaments around the corner, Clark believes that Stuart has what it takes to go far in both competitions.

“Defense is always key, and not getting shaken up on offense and taking care of the ball,” said Clark.

“We like to share the ball. We are all one team, there is no one that is selfish on the court. We move the ball well.”